Chinese brands sold 94,168 new cars in the UK last year, according to official registration figures.
This represents almost one in 20 new vehicles entering the road in 2024.
However, the total market share of Chinese-built vehicles sold in Britain will be even higher when considering mainstream auto firms that have started producing models in the country.
This includes both Polestar and Volvo – both owned by Chinese giant Geely – Tesla, which has a huge manufacturing site in Shanghai, and even Mini, which has signed a production deal with Great Wall Motor for its new electric Cooper and Aceman.
The UK’s cheapest EV, the Dacia Spring, is also made in China.
But there are a number of Chinese newcomers that are either already selling cars in Britain – or are due to do so in 2025 – that you haven’t heard about before.
With the help of Auto Express, we briefly detail each brand, what they’re offering and how many dealers they have across the country to date.
This follows This is Money’s ultimate guide to Chinese cars published yesterday, explaining why they’re so cheap, if they’re ethical to own and how difficult they are to insure.
While MG and BYD are already established in the UK, there are 10 Chinese brands in total that will be selling passenger cars to British drivers in 2025. We briefly take a look at each one
Which Chinese brands are currently most popular in the UK?
The 81,536 MGs sold last year put the Shanghai-owned manufacturer tenth in the standings for most popular brands of 2024.
It shows the remarkable rise in appetite for MG vehicles in the last decade, which is driven by its range of affordable cars, both combustion and battery powered.
Market intelligence firm Schmidt Automotive Research also says MG benefits from ‘strong brand equity and DNA’ in the UK, based on the classic MG name long before the brand was acquired by China’s SAIC in 2007.
To put its popularity into perspective, more MGs were bought in the UK last year than Vauxhalls (78,895), Skodas (78,601), Peugeots (68,905), Volvos (66,408), Land Rovers (61,290), Renaults (57,967), Teslas (50,334), Minis (46,975), Seats (36,782), Dacias (31,457) and Hondas (30,636).
BYD and Omoda – both relative newcomers emerging on the UK market in 2023 and 2024 – amassed 8,788 and 3,629 sales respectively last year, while Great Wall Motors’ Ora brand upped its registrations to 1,162 in the previous 12 months.
Jaecoo – which is a marque belonging to the Chinese Chery brand – and Skywell amassed 215 registrations in their debut years in the UK.
The 81,536 MGs sold last year put the Shanghai-owned manufacturer tenth in the standings for most popular brands of 2024. But what about other Chinese makers? We give a brief overview of each one already selling cars in Britain – and those due to break into the UK market in 2025
Which Chinese brands are available – or coming to the UK this year?
While MG and BYD are already established in the UK, there are 10 different Chinese brands in total that will be selling passenger cars to British drivers in 2025.
Here’s a brief overview of the Chinese brands you can buy in the UK already – and those due to launch here very shortly.
We also explain which of their models to keep an eye out for and how many dealers they will have nationwide.
The MG brand has gone from strength to strength in recent years under SAIC’s stewardship. The Cyberster electric roadster is its latest move into a new EV market
MG Motor
Arrived in the UK: 2011 (resumption of sales under Chinese ownership)
Dealer network: 174 locations
Notable models: MG4 EV, ZS and Cyberster
The badge and name will look and sound familiar, but this is a vastly different MG to the one of the past.
The brand was bought in 2007 by Chinese conglomerate SAIC and has since grown into a formidable force in the UK budget-car market.
Throughout the 2010s, MG’s line-up was frumpy and uninteresting, but the arrival of the MG4 changed that with its angular styling and sporty drive, while keeping a bargain price tag.
Now there’s still a whiff of the MG of old with the new, all-electric Cyberster sports car – essentially the classic MGB reborn for the modern era.
The 03 is the debut EV model from GWM Ora. It recently underwent a name change after the original moniker – Funky Cat – proved unpopular in Britain
GWM Ora
Arrived in the UK: 2022
Dealer network: 43 locations
Notable model: Funky Cat/03
Ora is the first brand under the Great Wall Motor enterprise to break into the UK market.
Arriving with the Funky Cat supermini, Ora bosses quickly realised – after around just 1,000 sales in the first 12 months – that the quirky name might not add to its appeal.
Ora has since rebranded the retro small EV with the 03 nameplate and a saloon is due to arrive later this year to rival to the Tesla Model 3. Recent big price cuts should also help the renamed Ora 03 persuade buyers to part with their hard-earned cash.
BYD has hit the ground running in the UK with a selection of affordably-priced EVs, including the Dolphin (pictured). It is the biggest electric car seller globally, overtaking Tesla in 2024
BYD
Arrived in the UK: 2023
Dealer network: 60 locations
Notable models: Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal
The ‘Build Your Dreams’ brand arrived in 2023 and has hit the ground running in the UK with a trio of decent EVs, all of which are well equipped and – currently – show signs of strong build quality.
Its big part piece is its rotating touchscreen, which can shift from portrait to landscape at the tap of a button.
The J7 (pictured) is the first UK arrival from market newcomer Jaecoo, which is owned by Chery
Jaecoo
Arrived in the UK: 2024
Dealer network: 75 locations
Notable model: J7
Consider Jaecoo China’s wallet-friendly answer to the likes of Land Rover.
It’s owned by Chery, a major car producing giant in China, and launched in the UK alongside partner brand Omoda (see below).
While Jaecoo’s offerings – currently limited to the J7 – focus on chunky 4×4-esque styling, these models do have limited off-road capability. Production is based in Spain and with more than 70 dealers shared with Omoda across the country
The T03 is one of the first new models from Leapmotor – and it will be one of the nation’s cheapest EVs too, starting from just under £16,000. Leapmotor cars will be sold in Stellantis dealerships from 2025
Leapmotor
Arrived in the UK: 2024
Dealer network: N/A
Notable models: T03 and C10
Challenging the £15,000 Dacia Spring on price is no easy feat, but it’s exactly what Leapmotor’s first model, the T03 city car, aims to do. Starting from just £16,000, it is slightly more expensive than the Dacia, although it does get more kit and a longer range as standard.
Its C10 electric SUV will also be on sale here soon, with the B10 SUV also set to follow.
And with Stellantis (the owner of Citroen, Peugeot, Vauxhall and many others) owning a majority stake, the brand will soon start popping up in and around Stellantis dealerships.
Omoda is a sister brand to Jaecoo, sitting under Chery’s banner. Its first UK model – the 5 (pictured) – arrived in 2024
Omoda
Arrived in the UK: 2024
Dealer network: 75 locations
Notable model: 5
Omoda is the second brand to launch in the UK in Chery’s stable.
It is aimed at younger, fashion-focused buyers, with the 5 – available as a petrol or EV variant – its debut model.
More variants are on their way, including the hybrid-powered Omoda 7, which has the Toyota RAV4 in its sights. It’s worth noting that Omoda has an engineering laboratory in Frankfurt, which is designed to help adapt the brand’s models for European roads and tastes.
Great Wall Motor might have broken into the UK market with Ora, but Haval is its biggest brand. It is due to emerge here in 2025
GWM Haval
Coming to the UK in: 2025
Dealer network: 43 locations*
Notable model: Haval Jolion Pro
Haval is the second GWM product to come to the UK later this year and will debut with the affordable Jolion Pro hybrid crossover.
Haval is GWM’s most popular global brand, offering as many as 10 different models – all of them SUVs – back in China. They will be sold in the UK in GWM dealerships alongside Oras.
NIO has been on the cusp of entering the UK market for years with models including the ET5 (pictured), though until now has focussed on other European markets. Its unique selling point is its groundbreaking battery swap setup
NIO
Coming to the UK in: 2025
Dealer network: N/A
Notable models: ET5, EL7n
The big selling point of NIO is that it has a groundbreaking battery-swap system, meaning you can quickly eject the battery that’s running low in range at a dedicated station and replace it with one that’s fully charged.
Already in place in countries such as Germany, NIO offers owners the choice of traditionally charging their EV, or heading to one of a growing number of locations where the pack can be swapped out for a fully charged one in as little as five minutes.
NIO offers nine different models globally, and has just launched the Firefly sub-brand for Europe, with its MINI Cooper E rival set to arrive before the end of 2025.
XPeng has already announced its UK arrival this year. Cars like the G6 SUV will be sold in existing Subaru and Isuzu dealerships
XPeng
Coming to the UK in: 2025
Dealer network: N/A
Notable models: G6, P7+, Aero HT
AI (artificial intelligence) is the buzzword of the moment and Chinese firm XPeng aims to use it to its advantage with its next generation of electric vehicles.
Its models are due to be sold alongside Subarus and Isuzus in the UK, with the XPeng G6 SUV and forthcoming P7+ saloon the first to arrive with AI-powered self-driving capabilities.
If that doesn’t pique your interest, XPeng also recently unveiled a six-wheeled rival to the Tesla Cybertruck with a pilotable quadcopter in the boot.
Zeekr is one of the more premium electric car manufacturers to emerge. It is owned by the giant conglomerate Geely, which also has Polestar, Volvo and Lotus in its stable
Zeekr
Coming to the UK in: 2025
Dealer network: N/A
Notable models: X, 001, 7X
While the vast majority of Chinese brands available in the UK toe the line towards the budget end of the market, Zeekr is one of the more premium electric car manufacturers to emerge. It is owned by the giant conglomerate Geely, which also has Polestar, Volvo and Lotus in its stable.
Recently, the Zeekr X was awarded ‘Best in Class’ by Euro NCAP for small SUVs and pure-electric vehicles, thanks to its focus on crash structures and fast-reacting driver-assistance tech.
The brand’s 001 fastback saloon, 7X family SUV and 007 electric estate are all expected to arrive in the UK before the end of 2025, although this is yet to be confirmed.
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